10 Feb 2022

Township Rollers required a last minute Phenyo Serameng headed goal to earn a comeback draw against a hard working Sua Flamingoes at the Royal Aria Stadium in Tlokweng on Wednesday.

The poorly attended Premier League midweek fixture was full of drama as tempers flared between the two sides on the pitch, with insults also hurled by the two benches towards each other.

Enough sanity prevailed for the game to be concluded without a red card being flashed; and with Mcebisi Moyo having given Sua a first half lead, Rollers had to claw themselves back to a point with Serameng’s stoppage time header.

After slowly sizing each other like heavyweight boxers in the early rounds of a Las Vegas championship bout, Rollers and Sua started going for the jugular after about ten minutes into the contest.

Sua were physical, not allowing Rollers the time and space to play their normal game,

Popa relied on full backs Onkarabile “Lefty” Ratanang and Motsholetsi Sikele to play balls behind the Sua defensive lines, but the visiting side goalkeeper Kenneth Mmoko dealt with most of them.

Rollers Kenyan winger Ovella Ochieng hit the post in the 18th minute in a first half of few clear chances.

The game was played at a good tempo, but the two sides cancelled each other out in the final third.

In the 36th minute, Sua took the lead.

Rollers failed to deal with Kealeboga Molebatsi’s corner kick and the ball fell at the feet of Botsile Morotsi whose shot got blocked by the Popa rearguard before Moyo slotted home to give Bafana Ba Letswai the 1-0 lead.

At the half time break, the two sets of players and coaching staffs had to be calmed down by match officials as a scuffle ensued, each accusing the other side of foul play.

Rollers piled pressure in the second half, but found Sua resolute; Rahman Gumbo’s side putting eleven men behind the ball.

Segolame Boy came close on two occasions for Rollers. The Blues’ French coach Romain Folz brought on Bame Morwalela for the ineffective Mohamed Diallo in the 74th minute and the home side had better attacking shape in the final quarter of an hour.

Dominic Chungwa and Goitseone Legopelo were off target for Sua in counter attacking transition play.

Serameng stepped in to head in a set piece played into the danger zone in stoppage time to salvage the point.

Elsewhere too of the log Gaborone United defeated Police XI 3-0 in Otse; Extension Gunners posted an impressive 7-2 triumph over Prisons XI in Lobatse while Orapa United drew 1-1 with Mogoditshane Fighters at Itekeng.

With Rollers dripping two points, GU extended their lead at the top to seven points.  ENDs